Dictionary Definition
justify
Verb
1 show to be reasonable or provide adequate
ground for; "The emergency does not warrant all of us buying guns";
"The end justifies the means" [syn: warrant]
2 show to be right by providing justification or
proof; "vindicate a claim" [syn: vindicate]
3 defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses
for by reasoning; "rationalize the child's seemingly crazy
behavior"; "he rationalized his lack of success" [syn: apologize, apologise, excuse, rationalize, rationalise]
5 adjust the spaces between words; "justify the
margins" [also: justified]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Alternative spellings
- justifie (obsolete)
Pronunciation
- /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/
Verb
- To provide an acceptable explanation.
- How can you justify spending so much money on clothes?
- Paying too much for car insurance is not justified.
- How can you justify spending so much money on clothes?
- To give a good, acceptable reason for something.
- Nothing can justify your rude behaviour last night.
- To arrange lines on a page or computer screen in such a way
that both edges of writing are straight.
- The text will look better justified.
Translations
to provide an acceptable explanation
- Albanian: arsyetoj
- Finnish: perustella
- French: justifier
- German: rechtfertigen
- Polish: usprawiedliwiać
- Scots: justifee
- Spanish: legitimar, justificar
to give a good, acceptable reason for something
- Albanian: shpjegoj
- Czech: ospravedlnit
- Finnish: oikeuttaa, perustella
- French: justifier
- German: rechtfertigen
- Polish: usprawiedliwiać
- Scots: justifee
- Spanish: legitimar, justificar
to arrange lines on a page or computer screen
- Finnish: tasata
- German: ausrichten, justieren
- Polish: wyjustować
- ttbc Dutch: rechtvaardigen
- ttbc Afrikaans: regverdig
Related terms
Extensive Definition
The term justify has many meanings:
- To one's statement with positive evidence, see justification
- In telecommunication, the term justify has the following meanings:
- justification
in typesetting, i.e. To align text horizontally or vertically so
that the first and last characters of every line, or the first and
last line of the text, are aligned with their corresponding
margins.
- To align data on a designated character position.
- In mathematics, the term justify means to prove the validity of a claim using an accepted method of proof. See Mathematical proof.
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
absolve, account, account for, acquit, allow, amnesty, approve, argue, assert, authenticate, authorize, back, bear out, claim, clear, compose, confirm, contend, corroborate, cry sour
grapes, decontaminate, defend, demonstrate, destigmatize, discharge, dismiss, dispense from, do
justice to, exculpate,
excuse, exempt, exempt from, exonerate, explain, explain away, extenuate, forgive, free, give absolution, gloss, grant amnesty to, grant
immunity, grant remission, impose, legalize, legitimate, legitimatize, legitimize, let go, let off,
make up, nonpros,
overrun, palliate, pardon, permit, pi, pi a form, prove, purge, quash the charge, rationalize, rehabilitate, reinstate, release, remit, restore, sanction, set, set free, set in print,
shrive, substantiate, support, sustain, uphold, validate, verify, vindicate, warrant, whitewash, withdraw the
charge